The Sin of Curiosity
by Saiynt
Summary: Rearranging the memories of Sora and his friends along with Roxas left an ever expanding orifice in the emotions I've never known nor personally experienced. I mean, I'm a nobody so they couldn't have been attributed to me, right? Nonetheless, one had began to stir within me. I believe it's called curiosity. What piqued this frivolous emotion? I believe it is friendship.[One-Shot]


_Greetings and salutations. I've had this idea for a while and it's been on paper for quite some time so I decided to why not finish it and post it. It features my guilty pleasure ship that I've only recently discovered. The many different concepts I could come up with them is unimaginable. Actually, I lied, I'm imagining them right now. Anyways, thanks for stopping by and enjoy._

_Please not; I do not own any characters mentioned within this story for they belong to people with business sense and the capabilities to make amazing games. Thank you._

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_The Sin of Curiosity_

Sitting in the placid room of blinding white was nothing more than boring. The hours I spent drawing these... crude and elementary pictures in lieu of doing something of greater interest seemed to stretch on forever. I would've preferred going outside... ...well maybe not but anything would be better than this. Toying with the memories of this brunette boy and his friends seemed so... fallacious. Being imprisoned by the Organization was exactly how I desired to spend my numbered days. Then again, it's not as though my existence entirely matters but still. It'd be nice to experience things every so often.

But... I suppose without the organization I wouldn't have been able to witness the subject's display of emotions. Sora, I believe his name is. I actually wondered if I would be able to change his name out of boredom but... I was scolded. Pink haired people are frightening. Anyways, despite being a nobody and all, I found his memories rouse something within me- a desire to discover something. This was called curiosity, wasn't it? Setting aside the whittled down blue crayon, I observed my newest monstrosity. An alteration to his time in Atlantis- nothing too big nor small as per the guidelines Axel set. Sighing softly, I resisted the urge to wipe the waxy residue from my utensils on my- surprise, white dress. I don't understand these people with their desire to just shove me in white. Just, make it in a person and force me to marry it or something- actually no. I'd hate that.

I mean- it's not that it didn't look good on me according to Marluxia, it's just having it the same color over and over is so distasteful. No offense to anyone who does that. Then again, Larxene had different thoughts, noting how practically molds to my "pale ass" skin. She is so rude, I don't know how people can stand her snarky insults. But back to the dress. I probably would've tried coloring my dress with the crayons if Marluxia hadn't threatened me with a punishment should I get my dress dirty in any way. Well, let's see. There's no dirt in this room. I can't even find a speck of dust. What does that leave... Oh right, crayons. Ass. I think the only members here I legitimately like are Demyx and Axel though more so the former. The blonde would play some pretty sweet somber tunes on his sitar whenever he had to 'babysit me'. It was nice and relaxing though I wasn't sure if I was to feel as if I'm some sort of princess or prisoner.

...Probably the latter, but not for long. As I mentioned earlier, I've been feeling a bit curious about something and I've been dying to experience it firsthand. I'd probably be punished severely for this but who cares? It's _my_ power after all. I flipped quite a few pages ahead in my sketchbook, almost nearing the end before stopping on a picture of a blonde boy. Hayner was his name if I recall correctly. I selected him for the small experiment I had devised- completely random I assure. Unlike my other and rushed and crude pictures, the incomplete portrait of the boy was actually accurate and had some structure to it. Not that I'm trying to brag or anything. Considering it was something more along my own personal interests I decided to put as much care into this as I could. Determination and desire coursing through my veins, I hastily began my work. Unlike with my other creations, I paid close attention to detail in order to make sure each stroke with the coloured block of wax was perfect. Before long, I had a rough outline with the boy engaging in some heated debate with myself while keeping a jovial look on our faces. It was one of my finest pieces if I do say so myself. Along with the one of us at what I believe was a movie theater, tossing popcorn and the other myself cheering him on during the struggle tournament.

...You know, I've wondered about the spaces between these scenes. I mean, altering one bit of memories and all isn't bound to change everything, right? ...Or maybe it does. This skill is so strange...

Sighing softly, I placed my deteriorating supplies off to the side before leaning back in my chair. I wiped a bit of sweat that had accumulated off my brow. My fingers swiftly brushed over the far from complete image as a small smile tugged at my lips.

"Tomorrow's definitely the day..." I whispered softly with a tint of excitement rolling off my tongue. Closing the book, I brought it to my chest before standing up. I made my way to the neat cot that was set up for me. Sliding beneath the slightly warm blankets and allowing my blonde tresses to spread out beneath my head like water, I begin staring at the ceiling. Anticipation nipped at my senses as I forced my eyes to close and willed myself into a slumber. The warmth of the days that were to come would certainly make my sleep an extremely pleasant one.

**~SoC~**

Unlike the previous days where my caretaker for a few hours would wake me up unnecessarily early, I ended up waking up thanks to my internal clock's command. Stifling a yawn, I stretched as I rubbed my eyes before rolling off the cot. My sketchbook fell to the floor with a small thump with me following shortly after. Never before have I been able to attain such quality sleep. It felt _amazing_. I scanned the room for anyone but no one was there.

_Odd..._

I quickly adjusted my blankets and pillows, making sure everything was neat and tidy in case someone was just running late. They'd use anything as an excuse to get irritated with me. Turning around, I noticed my crayons were still present on the table. ...Wait, what? My _dwindling_ crayons were still there meaning they had yet to be replaced while I was asleep. I was so sure... Shaking my head before raking a hand through my flaxen locks, I stride over to the window. This was Castle Oblivion..._wasn't it...?_ I peer out the large window expecting a vast amount of darkness only to be greeted with a large expanse of greenery and lush forestry.

...What.

The sound of birds chirping as they flocked past the window only confirmed my suspicions. This... I'm no longer at Castle Oblivion. "...This is the mansion...isn't it...?" My question fell upon nonexistent ears but it was answered nonetheless. Did someone bring me here? They had to, it's not like I can sleep teleport. Have a good dream and bam, in a whole new world. Ugh, I don't know. A million possibilities ran through my mind, none of which were favorable as they would all sprout into some sort of danger for myself. Larxene throwing me here so she could torture me and watch me run. Marluxia just...being creepy. Or Axel so he can make me watch him start a forest fire or something. God. But...maybe I can use this chance to escape...? I mean- there's no one here and... No, they'd just find me within the hour. Two seconds tops. I suppose I'll lounge around until something happens, that's the safest bet. Right? I suppose... tomorrow wasn't the day.

Taking my eyes from the scenery outside, I moved to the table with dread in every step I took until a set of knocks made me freeze. Panic flooded throughout my body like ice as my imagination ran wild once more. Who would appear behind the ivory door? Xigbar? Luxord? ...Marluxia? The knocks made their presence known once again, displaying the individual's impatience. My body tensed up and my lips were beginning to dry. I sucked in a deep breath, holding my sketchbook close to my chest as though it would save me from the intruder. ...Or was I the intruder? Hopefully they'd think I'm asleep or better yet- _dead _and just leave me be. A groan was heard on the other side, a tone I was quite unfamiliar with, just before the door swung open. I flinched at the sound of the door ramming into the wall before opening an eye to see whose wrath I incurred.

"Geez, Nami... If you didn't want to come in you should've said something," _He_ huffed as he strutted inside. His right hand clutched a plastic bag filled with ice cream judging by the faint images I could see through the translucent material. His other hand raked through his sandy blonde hair before resting on his hip. A thin film of sweat seemed to almost make his tanned skin glow in the blinding white room. His soft brown eyes glanced about the room disapprovingly before he sat down on the table next to me.

_Did he just.. ...What?_

"Y-You..." I started, pointing a finger at him as he arched a brow at me. He was in the middle of pulling out a popsicle as I continued shakily. "Y-You're... You're supposed to knock before entering a girl's room!" I uncharacteristically blurted out. Why these words escaped my lips, even I do not know the answer. Rather, why was I concerned about that? Shouldn't I be more concerned about the fact that uh, he knows my name? _And_ he's using a nickname. I felt the need to slap my forehead several times, considering how he did knock and I tried to ignore them in hopes he would go away. Maybe if I tried hard enough I could give myself some third degree amnesia. Forget everything. Confusion dawned on his face before his lips curled into a rather cute pout as he hastily rebutted.

"I did! Twice even!" He shouted, gripping the stick of the frozen treat in his hand before pointing it at me. "You're not even naked or anything so I don't see what could be the problem!" He leaned over, nearly jabbing my face with the cold blue dessert and I instinctively took a step back. I held up my sketchbook in defense as if it was going to suddenly be my attorney. Well, it doesn't have a soul so I guess it's halfway there.

"Nonsense! You need to knock three times then ask if you can come in," I spat back, moving my sketchbook out of the line of fire. Seeing the treat was in my air space, I took a bite out of it and pulled away. It was...sweet yet salty. This was sea salt ice cream, wasn't it? Oh right then... This guy must be... Hayner. Wincing at the tastes that battled for dominance on my tongue before reaching a rather divine balance, I let out a small sigh. "Mmm... Let me get another bite."

"Wh- hell no!" Hayner glared at me, pulling the treat away as though it was some precious thing. "Get your own!" I whined a bit, trying to swipe it out of his hand but seeing as how he was much taller than me... that was far from possible. So, I went with the next best thing. I swiped the forgotten bag containing the remaining treats and darted around the room by the door.

"Haha! Success!" ...What am I doing...?

"Dammit Namine!" He shouted, hopping off the table to chase after me. I laughed as antagonistically as my voice would allow me before darting away. He would've chased after me but his ice cream was beginning to drip and he kind of stumbled in an attempt to lick up the melting treat whilst running. Which resulted in him crashing into the wall and splattering ice cream on said object. I couldn't help but giggle at the sight of him backing away from the wall, clearly a bit woozy from impact. "This... This isn't over... y-you hear me...?" He was talking to the chair, poking it with his finger which roused another laugh from me.

"I'm over here... ...dingus." I glided over to him, pulling out the other Sea Salt ice cream and pressed it against his face. "And the spoils are mine for I have won both the battle and the war. So... I believe it is over." While he gathered his bearings and his proper vision, I hopped onto the table and unwrapped my prize. I took a bite out of it, relishing in the dynamic tastes as they danced all over my tongue. This was so amazing. Axel would always compliment this but I would deny any every time he'd ask if I wanted some. I have been missing out.

Right... The organization...

They're going to find me, aren't they? It's not like they don't know where I am, do they? I can't wrap my head around this... I leaned to take another bite but a certain blonde beat me to the punch. "Hey!" Hayner smirked as he bit of a rather large chunk of _my_ ice cream before dodging my attempt to punch him.

"I believe you owe me Nami," was his reply to my punch and I sighed a bit before glancing off to the side. I waved the treat in my hand a bit, crossing one leg over the other.

"I suppose I could allow you to share the prize with me." I took another bite out of it and before he could retort, I shoved it in his mouth. I snickered at the dumbstruck look he had on his face before flopping down on the table. Was this...friendship...? Being able to laugh and joke around like this as though it's natural? ...Mmm... Or maybe I'm just good at adjusting to situations? I'm uncertain... My thoughts were intercepted by the appearance of brown eyes staring into my own with a hint of worry in them.

I'm kind of drifting off, aren't I?

"Hey Nami, are you feeling alright?" Hayner's voice asked, showing deep concern for my condition. How...nice... I gave him a smile and nodded my head to assure him that I was perfectly okay. ...I think. With no warning, he pulled me up off the table and shot me a smile. "Then, let's go out!" Before I could even respond, the blonde began pulling me away out of the room and into the hallway of the Mansion's. I struggled to keep up with him while securing a hold on my sketchbook as he expanded an unnatural large amount of energy. Somehow we managed to make it down the stairs with tripping and breaking our necks.

It's a Christmas miracle.

"Wh-Where are we going?" I asked as he pushed open the doors to the Mansion, pulling me out into the bright light of the place known as outside. It felt nice, having the rays of the sun greet my alabaster skin like this. He didn't give a direct response, simply stating that I would see when we got there. That...didn't help ease any worries I might have had. In fact, it made me think of Vexen and his...odd existence. He's just naturally odd and it' scares the living hell out of me. I could only hope for the best.

After leaving the mansion's estate, we traversed through the woods, successfully dodging the trees like we were in some sort of game. After that _grand_ adventure we were in Twilight Town. I hoped we would stop for a break to let me catch my breath but... nope! We just kept on running. Or rather, Hayner dragging a dead Naminé around town as she was far too tired to keep on going. Farewell me.

Eventually we came to a stop at some shady looking building. Now, when I say shady I mean _really _shady. Like Castle Oblivion shady. I glanced at Hayner who gave me a large smile while I was wheezing for air. ...Was this guy a puppy dog? Where the hell did his energy come from? Either way, he seemed pretty excited about this and I had to admit, I was curious about what would be behind these doors. When I finally had a stable oxygen supply flowing in and out of my system, he gripped the handle of the door and pulled it open.

"After you, Nami." He gave some sort of odd bow which was certainly amusing. I patted his head, humming how gentlemanly he was being before tip-toeing inside. He followed inside after me and... You know how I said this place was shady? Yeah, I was right. There was a counter with a sign over it saying 'Karaoke' in a bright neon pink. It kind of hurt my eyes. Past that were doors, probably leading to some private rooms for groups to do their karaoke thing. Oh, and there was a receptionist but... she looked kind of out of it. You could tell she wasn't interested in working today.

"So um... what exactly are we doing?" I asked dumbly, looking up at Hayner who simply pinched my cheek with a smile. That doesn't answer my question, man.

"We're doing karaoke, duh." Freeing my cheek, he grabbed my hand once again, though in a far more gentler grasp than before, leading me over to the reception lady. She glanced up from the magazine she was focused on reading and simply pointed her thumb to the doors in the back. Wow, such a good receptionist. I give her a ten out of ten for her wonderful customer service. Hayner pulled out a bit of munny, placing it on the counter before leading me to one of the rooms.

...Needless to say, I was a bit scared. Sketchy looking building. Guy I hardly know who apparently knows me thanks to my mad skills. Worker who really doesn't care about a boy-girl pair entering a room alone. Either I'm paranoid or my mind was on the right track in believing this was dangerous. Then again...from what I know about Hayner he wouldn't try anything. Or would he? Agh, I'm thinking again.

"What do you want to drink?" He asked me. Oh right, we're in the room now. I glanced about nervously, looking around for a list of drinks or something to let me know what there was to drink. My eyes fell upon a little flip book and I opened it, spotting the list of drinks on the first page.

"Uhhh..." I darted down the list several times over, unable to decide. The only thing the organization offered me to drink was water. Just...water. So I was curious to see what other things I would be able to drink. "How about... this one... Pink lemonade?" I held up the book to his face, pointing at the drink I desired. He blinked a couple of times before nodding his head. He pressed a device with buttons that made a little buzzing sound. I'm guessing he just submitted our orders.

"Now, the first order of business." Hayner declared, placing a foot on the table and striking a pose as though he were pointing to the stars. "Deciding a song to sing! Do you have any in mind?"

"...Nope." I wonder, _can_ Hayner sing? "But... I would like to hear you sing. If that's okay?" He stared at me blankly for a moment and I tilted my head, slightly confused. Was that a no or...? He turned his head away, raking a hand through his hair before removing his foot from the table.

"Alright! I'll go first!" Picking up a microphone and making his way over to the middle of the room, he tapped a screen a few times. A few song titles that were unfamiliar to me, or rather all the song titles were unfamiliar to me, were visible on the screen before he finally selected one.

An upbeat tune started playing and it was a pretty nice beat.

_"Hey! Where's the drums?"_ Hayner spoke into the mic, staring at the screen as white bubble words flowed onto the yellow background. _"Oh whoa-oh-oh..." _His voice actually sounded nice- decent actually. Though, if I were to compare him to Demyx I'd definitely have to say the sitarist is better. He continued on singing and I must say, the song was rather peculiar. Though I wondered who was Sinatra... and who's Michael and Prince? Ah well... He continued singing, glancing back to me every now and again only to see that was entirely enthralled by his performance. I was probably smiling like a dork as he sang.

Honestly, it was pretty amazing. Though that's not really credible considering how he's the only person I've ever heard sing but he was really getting into it. Eventually the song came to an end and to life came my applause.

"That was awesome Hayner!" I cheered, my voice billowing with excitement. Not to mention I was greatly entertained. Smirking, he tossed the mic between his hands and lifted his chin up.

"No biggie, no biggie. I'm just that good." He held out the microphone to me, a small smile replacing the smirk as his eyes looked into my own. "Now it's your turn Nami." Err... Excuse me? I may not have ever tried singing before but I know for a fact that I will suck at this. I stared back at him, stationary. Sweat trickled down his face and his cheeks had a bit of a reddish tint to them.

"...Okay... Don't blame me if I make your ears bleed." I sighed a bit, taking the microphone from his hand and stood up. Making my way over to the panel I began scrolling through the list of songs. Again, none of these were familiar to me except for one. "Oh!" I let out a small gasp, tapping the song and took a few steps away. If memory serves correctly, Demyx sang this to me some time ago.

Here goes nothing...

_"They say you're a freak when we're having fun. Say you must be high when we're spreading love. But we're just living life and we never stop."_ I began singing the words off the screen effortlessly and I surprised myself with my own voice. I sounded pleasant. Not good but not bad- simply pleasant enough to not make my ears hurt. I glanced over behind me nervously to see Hayner watching me intently.

And suddenly I'm a tad bit more nervous. My voice begins to waver a bit as I continue to sing along with the words. Ah, I skipped over a word...

"Relax Nam. It's not like you're getting judged or anything- you're doing great!" Hayner rooted me own and I nodded my head before continuing on. I relaxed a bit with those encouraging words and I found the right tempo once again. It was a bit faster than I remembered, probably because Demyx played it a bit more... smoothly. It was still a nice song though and it finally ended. The sound of my own panting reached my ears and I realized that I had accumulated a bit of sweat as well.

Well, that was really invigorating.

"Nice Nami! You got a pretty high score!" Hayner patted my back, flashing me a toothy grin. I chuckled softly before I noticed another microphone in his hand. "Now, let's do one together."

"No." I immediately denied the request. That one song was so exhausting, I really didn't feel up for another one. However, seeing my denial he pouted a bit and tried to guilt trip me into playing along. "No means no Hayner." I would not relent. I had an iron will incapable of being penetrated.

"Aww, come on Nams." Twitch. "Please?" He plead a bit, grabbing my shoulders loosely and staring at me a bit too close for comfort. I felt my face heat up a bit before sighing softly. He pumped a fist in the air in victory as I held up one finger to him.

"One song. Then I'm done. Deal?" He nodded his head furiously, shaking his blonde locks. He really was kind of like a puppy dog. Cute. Smiling a bit myself I noticed our drinks had arrived. Taking my glass of pink lemonade, I sipped it until only half remained. Singing really makes you thirsty I guess. I opted to let Hayner select a song though I wondered if that was a good idea. This time, the screen split into two and I was to read the words on the left side. Soon enough, music began to play as words adorned the screen and Hayner began his part.

_"Do you hear me, I'm talking to you... Across the water, across the deep blue ocean. Under the open sky, oh my baby I'm trying..."_ He sang flawlessly, reaching notes with ease. He glanced over at me as my part began, surprising me. His brown eyes were swirling with some sort of emotion I couldn't quite pin. They certainly ascertained a new...glow to them.

_"B-Boy, I hear you... in my dreams... I feel your whisper across the sea... I keep you with me in my heart... You make it easier when life gets hard."_ I stammered over the first bit but I managed to recover, somehow. Oddly enough, this song made me feel a bit...awkward... The next part shone and it was both of us singing together with no chance to prepare.

_"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend... Lucky to have been where I have been... Lucky to be coming home again... Ooohhh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh..."_ Good those 'ooohs' are so annoying... Wait, love...? Oh god. _"They don't know how long it takes. Waiting for a love like this... Every time we say goodbye, I wish we had one more kiss... I'll wait for you, I promise you, I will..."_ My voice gradually grew softer as we continued, feeling uneasy with this song. Not to mention I found it odd how some parts he would echo and I would vice versa. Nonetheless, we continued on.

_"Lucky I'm in love with my best friend... Lucky to have been where I have been... Lucky to be coming home again... Lucky we're in love in every way... Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed... Lucky to be coming home someday..."_ This is getting really awkward, real fast.

_"And so I'm sailing... through the sea... To an island where we'll meet... You'll hear the music fill the air... I'll put a flower in your hair..." _Our voices meshed together as I joined him along on a few of the words. If it weren't for the content of the lyrics this would be a bit more enjoyable...

_"Through the breezes... Through the trees... Move so pretty, you're all I see... As the world keeps spinning round... You hold me right here, right now..." _I sang shakily, my nerves finally reaching the boiling point. Fortunately, the song was almost over and when it did end, I simply sat down in my seat. Hayner was panting before plopping down on the seat next to me.

"That was... pretty cool..." He muttered, taking a sip of his own drink. I nodded weakly, downing the rest of my pink lemonade. I was still a bit uncomfortable. Was that...a confession? Or was it just a simple song...? I glanced over to him to see that his cheeks were heavily tinted with red. For a brief moment, our eyes met and he looked away quickly.

"..." I sighed a bit, closing my eyes and set the ice filled glass down. "Thanks Hayner... This was, really fun." I spoke softly, giving him a large smile. In all honesty, it really was. I enjoyed it greatly especially if I put all that awkwardness behind us. This seemed to have eased any concerns he had as he smiled back with a bit of life in his eyes.

"I'm-I'm glad you had fun Nami..." He says kind of lamely but he makes up for it with his smile. He stands up, holding a hand out to me. "Come on, I'll walk you home." Laughing a bit, I commented about how chivalry is dead which he retorted with a scoff. Nonetheless, I slid my own hand in his and we began our journey back to the mansion.

_**~SoC~**_

Upon our arrival back to the building, he stopped at the doors. He held my hands in his own, staring at me with a mix of emotions. Emotions I couldn't decipher for I have yet to experience them myself. But there was one thing I managed to achieve, _joy._ I opted to give him a hug, which he returned, before muttering my thanks. After I pulled away, I waved to him as I made my way inside only to be stopped by something grabbing my wrist.

His hand obviously.

Shortly after, my cheek was victim to something soft pressing against it. Glancing over, I found that Hayner had forced his lips upon my cheek before backing away. He scratched the tip of his nose nervously before muttering a quick goodnight and leaving. I simply stared at him as he left, uncertain on how to react. After a while I felt the chill from the night creep around me and decided to saunter on inside.

My sandals tapped on the floor with each step I took as I hummed softly. Gripping my sketchbook in my hand, I made my way up the stairs. Everything seemed untouched so it would it appear that I would be spending quite some time here... How nice. I made my way into the accursed white room only to find a fresh pack of crayons on the table. Arching my brow, I made my way over to the table and examined it but there was nothing more than the brand new pack of unopened crayons. Not to mention there were more colors inside as well.

"...Strange..." I murmured to myself, glancing around the room. It was empty save for me and the furniture. Someone from the organization was definitely here and they definitely brought me these. Sighing softly, I make my way over to the cot and pull my knees against my chest as I began finishing up the sketch I had made yesterday. Filling out the extra details to his face and his hair, I couldn't help but wonder about his emotions. They were fabricated, that wasn't a lie, forced to contort with the memories I altered and gave him yet... it's strange... I didn't desire for him to develop such things- I just wished for his friendship. Perhaps...that's how it was meant to be? Maybe...

Letting out a small yawn, I place the crayons back in their designated spots and set the pack on the floor along with my sketchbook. The newest piece featuring the two of us was completed. I was uncertain of what would be the next to come. Perhaps I'll do a scene that occurs tomorrow. Maybe there'll be something even more exemplary than today.

Needless to say, like the night before, I fell asleep with excitement oozing from my pores.

_**~SoC~**_

Days like the Karaoke night had continued on. The day after that we had gone to the beach to enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation. Since I didn't exactly have a swimsuit, we went to go try some out. It was fun, posing and trying out something new rather than the stupid white dress I always wore. Though I can say Hayner enjoyed that a _bit_ too much. We ended up gathering seashells for pointless reasons only to toss them back all over the beach. Hayner did however, manage to catch quite a bit of fish which we had grilled and ate together. I documented that moment in my sketchbook, it was certainly a beautiful night.

The day after that, we had gone around the town for shopping. He suggested that I should try 'upping my wardrobe' and I happily agreed. The cloth I had to wear daily was drab and these sandals weren't going to last forever. Although there were a lot of things that caught my eye, I wanted to be mindful of Hayner's wallet. Despite him saying that it was no trouble and I could have whatever I desired I strictly went with several pairs of shorts and those little off-shoulder sweaters in the discount rack. He also bought me a pair of sneakers that would probably last longer than my only other pair of footwear. I gave him my most sincerest thanks with a large hug to which he returned. Unexpectedly, at the end of that outing he gave me another kiss to the cheek. I wasn't prepared for such a thing but I wasn't as nervous as the first time it occurred.

Today was a bit on the different side.

We had decided to stay in the mansion since it had begun raining after Hayner arrived. He apparently planned for us to go somewhere to see some sort of outdoor concert or something but that ship has sunk.

"Is it a Johan?" And here we are, playing hangman as we enjoy the picnic basket he (his mother) prepared for us. I shook my head briskly in response to his guess. The hint was music and he only managed to guess an o and an h. I suppose I should tell him that it's more than just letters... ...Nah. "...Man, I give up. Please tell me Nams."

"3OH!3" I replied, smirking as I ascertained success yet again. He huffed a bit, trying to yank my sketchbook out of my hands, claiming that I cheated. "Nooooo! I didn't say there weren't numbers or punctuation in it!"

"You didn't say there _were_ either!" He countered, leaning over me as he tried to nab the book from my hands. Giggling all the while, I fell on my back and he came along with me for the ride. Sketchbook in our hands as her faces were unnecessarily close together. I simply stared at him as his eyes began to swirl with conflict. They were unreadable, yes, but I could tell he was having an internal debate with himself at least. He began leaning in, closing his eyes ever so slightly before his lips pressed ever so slightly against my own. I sort of laid there, seemingly unaffected by the action as his hands moved to grab my arms. The sketchbook remained forgotten as I released it and draped my arms around his shoulders like I've practiced with my pillow many times before.

Awkwardly, I tried to kiss back, however one would be able to do that and it seemed to elicit a response from him. His hands moved lower, darting away from my shoulders and heading along my sides. And I simply laid there, immobile like a dead fish as I allowed him to do as he pleased. I was uncertain how to react to this but surely this was a part of what I desired, right? However, before he could continue, the single door that led into this room busted open. The door flew off it's hinges and crashed into the adjacent wall before becoming nothing but shattered wood.

Shocked by this, Hayner jolted back and pushed himself away from me to allow me to sit up. I looked over to the cause of such an action only to see Marluxia with an extremely displeased expression plastered on his face.

"Naminé!" The pink haired male exclaimed, anger seeping from his words. He shot a glare at Hayner who shivered at the mere sight of this effeminate male as he stalked towards me. Not being one for delicacy, he yanked me up off the floor with his hand gripping my wrist to the point of pain. I winced of course and feebly attempted to remove his grip but to no avail. "What are you _doing_?! You shouldn't be here, you should be back at Oblivion! When we get back you're telling me ho-"

"She's not going anywhere fucker!" Hayner interrupted, flying through the air to launch himself at the male. Marluxia was taken aback by this and immediately released me to back away from the blonde. Hayner through his hands out in an attempt to be some sort of shield to keep my abductor away. "Nami is staying right here. You can leave right through there and please, don't come back."

"A-Ah... You shouldn't..."

My warning was cut off by Marluxia's chuckling as he flipped his locks at my savior's words. "Oh puh-lease... What are you gonna do little boy? Kick my ass? I doubt it. That girl belongs to me so I'd advise you to step aside unless you wanna get hurt. Don't worry though, I'll make it quick and painless." Stubbornly, Hayner remained in his position, glaring at the salmon haired fiend in order to get him to fight.

"Tch. Fine then. It's your funeral." Snapping his fingers, his signature weapon appeared before us in his hands. It's long green base with a rosy blade protruding from it. He swung it around for a brief moment before gripping it tightly as he smirked at Hayner. "I'll give you one last chance. Step away now and I'll spare your life." ...No response. "Very well then." I doubt Hayner would've been able to predict that Marluxia would move so fast. He didn't have any chance to react as Marluxia grabbed me after slicing him open in his chest. Brown eyes widened as blood splattered the table, the chairs, the floor and the walls and Hayner's body fell to the ground with a soft thump. He laid there, eyes glowering at Marluxia as he tried to will his body to get up and do something. Blood seeped out from his wound and began to pool on the floor and stain his clothes whilst he began coughing even more out onto the ivory flooring.

""Gi-Give... he-her back..." He wheezed out, unable to properly breathe. His lungs were probably getting pumped filled with his own blood and I could only watch in horror. A small gasp escaped my mouth and I attempted to reach out to help him but Marluxia's secure hold wouldn't allow it.

"Ha-Hayner! Just stop moving! Marluxia, _please_ get someone to help him!" I begged. I didn't intend for this to happen. It all occurred so fast. I just wanted to experience friendship. I wondered, what it was. Sitting around, dreaming of what it'd be like to have a legitimate friend. But...if it came to this, perhaps I shouldn't have friends at all... I never wanted him to get hurt. And now he could possibly die...?

"Mmmm... How about... no?" Marluxia suggested before laughing at the disbelief on my face. I could feel something liquid run down my face. Something liquid and hot. Were these...tears...? How... strange. I suppose this feeling is guilt? No, there's something else too. Remorse? Despair? Sorrow? Yeah, that might be it... My hands clenched into fists as I began to hit his chest, begging for him to do something. I'd be willing to do anything.

"Fine fine. If I allow him to live... You have to hasten the process with Sora's memories and...erase_ his_. Understood?" My mouth went slack for a moment but I nodded my head in agreement. Hayner groaned in disapproval of the arrangement but there was no choice. If I didn't agree, he would die. I... I didn't want that to be on my conscience. Conscience... Funny, I never would've pegged a Nobody to have a conscience... Laughing raucously at the deal, Marluxia picked up my sketchbook, thrusting it into my hands and proceeded to drag me through the dark corridor.

"You better hurry up and get started. Time's a ticking!" With those few words, I found myself back in the white room, free of blood and Hayner. Uncertain, I made my way over to the window where I found an endless stream of darkness all around. This was...certainly Castle Oblivion. Sighing, I collapsed to the floor as I began to flip through the pages of my notebook. I have to erase them...don't I...? Rather than tearing out the pages and having someone dispose of them, I opted for the alternative. Redrawing them, this time rather than me in them, I placed that brunette girl instead. Her name was... Olette wasn't it? I quickly began working in hopes that Marluxia would carry out with his side of the deal. Sitting by the window, I stared out to the endless sky that seemed so unfamiliar to me in a deep rooted sorrow.

_Perhaps... It's better this way..._

* * *

_[A/N]_

_Hmmm... Well, that's done. This was the first story I've decided to do in regards to Kingdom Hearts and my first work of fiction period to actually be published. Feel free to leave in reviews or criticisms in regard to this. I look forward to reading them. Until another time I feel like writing._


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